Printing devices such as laser printers use a powdered toner to form text or an image. The toner within a portable toner container (e.g., a toner bottle or cartridge) is placed within the printer, then the toner is dispensed from the container. For example, a dispense auger from the printer can be inserted into an opening in the container, then the bottle and/or dispense auger may rotate to feed the toner into the auger. The toner is then transported to the print engine.
During the insertion or removal of the auger from the opening in the container, or during transport of the printer, the solid powdered toner can leak from the container and into the printer. Periodic maintenance is typically performed to remove toner contamination from the inside of the printer, as this toner can decrease print quality and the lifetime of the printer.
In an attempt to reduce toner leakage, a permanent seal may be placed at the opening of the container. The foam seal includes two slits that are perpendicular to each other. During use, the dispense auger extends through the slits and into the container. However, the length of slits are larger than the diameter of the auger so that the foam seal is not damaged during insertion of the auger, and toner may leak from the ends of the slits during use of the printer, during insertion and removal of the auger, and/or during transport of the printer.
A toner container that is less prone to toner leakage, and a printer including the toner container, would be desirable.